When is caries caries, and what should we do about it?
Treatment of initial caries, albeit an everyday occurrence for the dental practitioner, presents considerable demands of patient assessment and diagnosis. Whatever decisions are made--to restore caries or to attempt to arrest its progress--the adoption of a maintenance program is of paramount importance. Patient motivation, in respect to dietary control and satisfactory oral hygiene, is central to a successful outcome, and in the future, practice management programs may include RAC as a diagnostic aid. New methods of caries management are more dynamic than traditional methods and place restoration of the lesion toward the bottom of the list of possible treatments, with the biologic rather than the mechanistic approach being a priority. However, the teaching of RAC in dental schools and the third-party funding of diagnostic tests and diagnosis are also required to reflect the increasing complexity of management of initial caries. If restorative intervention is indicated following diagnosis and RAC, treatment of initial caries should involve a minimal-intervention adhesive technique.[1]References
- When is caries caries, and what should we do about it? Burke, F.J., Wilson, N.H. Quintessence international. (1998) [Pubmed]
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